Featured Artist Tara Verkuil

Painter Tara Verkuil shares a collection of whimsical mixed media abstracts that delight the senses. See more of her portfolio on her website.

 

 

I have always loved art and being creative.

 

 

From the start of my life, my two loves have been horses and painting. I have owned and ridden horses my whole life, and they successfully inspired my creative side. They inspired me to draw and paint not only as them subjects, but landscapes, florals and abstracts as well.

 

 

In my latest collection, I am uniting the two. I’m working on an abstract expressionist equine art collection, and I feel in my heart that I am in the right place with my art.

 

 

My style teeters on the abstract and the recognizable. It’s my goal to convey the power and presence that I feel horses, or any subject, bring.

 

 

I continue to explore new ideas and techniques. I incorporate mixed media into my pieces. Recently I purchased an electric sander which allows me to reveal the layers underneath, which I then glaze over.

 

 

It’s this many layered technique with scraping back that creates the depth in my work, revealing unexpected marks and spots of beauty. I love creating art where viewers find different places that grab their interest.

 

 

My paintings are about color, harmony and composition. They seek to illustrate a moment in time that I find is powerful and would like to share. Taking my life experiences and expressing them on a canvas is my way of working through all things.

 

 

All the aspects of my work—the marks and the colors—come to me intuitively. After being inspired by a view or an image, I return to the studio to paint what I feel inside, not to copy what I am looking at.

 

 

For me, there is a real parallel between emotion and art. The questions I always ask myself as I create is whether or not I’m capturing the essence of my feelings on the canvas, and if it brings joy to look at. I hope to share this power and joy with my viewers.

 

Artist Tara Verkuil invites you to follow her on Instagram.

 

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